Crack Mothers

Crack mothers illustrates how the overexposure of a racial or ethnic stereotype can wrongfully influence the treatment of a specific group of people. This entry examines the social construction of crack mothers, media portrayals, prenatal effects of cocaine, and legal issues. Crack mothers are pregnant women who use cocaine. The term emerged during the mid-1980s as a part of the War on Drugs crusade launched by President Ronald Reagan. The media was mainly responsible for bringing to light the images of crack mothers as mostly Black and Hispanic, economically underprivileged urban women. Television news teams showed these women smoking crack and openly describing their drug use. This led to the stereotype of crack mothers as poor women of color who were indifferent to the health of their babies.

Cocaine became popular in the mid-1980s as a highly addictive stimulant. Cocaine users report feelings of euphoria, high energy, and erratic behavior. Crack and powder cocaine are different forms of cocaine, but they are equally addictive. The term crack refers to the crackling sound cocaine makes when it is heated. Crack remains a popular drug because it is easy to produce, very inexpensive, and the feeling of euphoria is reached in less than 10 seconds when smoked. Powdered cocaine is more expensive, and the high from snorting it is reached at a slower pace.

The social construction of crack mothers illustrates the intersection among race, class, and gender. The profile of maternal crack use was a Black woman in her mid-20s who came from the inner city and was on Medicaid. This bias played an important role in the unfair drug testing of mothers and continues to play a part in the criminalization of poor women of color in the War on Drugs. Moreover, the media also distinguished between mothers who used cocaine and those who used crack. Criminologist Drew Humphries, in her book Crack Mothers, analyzed network news images and found that cocaine mothers, mostly White middle-class women, were televised as remorseful mothers caring for their children and conforming to a life of recovery. Conversely, crack mothers were portrayed as irresponsible and reprehensible mothers.

The detrimental effects of prenatal cocaine exposure are difficult to isolate because of multiple confounding factors that may influence a child's development in the womb. For instance, mothers who use cocaine may also use other drugs and differ in prenatal care, prenatal nutrition, and socioeconomic conditions. Babies born to crack cocaine-addicted mothers were often referred to as “crack babies.” This was another popular term that surfaced in the midst of the crack cocaine era of the 1980s and early 1990s. Empirical studies found that babies exposed to cocaine have higher risks of mortality, low birth weight, and patterns of neurobiological damaging effects that can affect their scholastic and physical development. However, these studies also revealed that the effects on a child's motor skills and intelligence may not be as long lasting and severe as previously suggested. Nonetheless, these children need increased assistance in everyday learning and developing sound communication and interpersonal skills.

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